Seven Kingdoms: Seowyn's Crossing

Zhakastir

The Zhakastir is the title given to the ruler of the Kingdom of Gristamere. The word translates in the Goblin tongue directly as High Commander. The Zhakastir is almost always a hobgoblin of great intelligence, cunning, and military might. In extremely rare cases, a particularly crafty goblin or exceptionally strong and cruel bugbear has successfully captured the title. Almost invariably, however, this is an anomaly, and the title is captured by some new hobgoblin military leader within a relatively short span of time.

The title spends time being hereditary, passed from the previous Zhakastir to a chosen successor, who may or may not be a relative. If a Zhakastir is regarded as weak, however, assassination or political and military coups may be employed to remove him in favor of a stronger candidate.

At the current time, the Zhakastir is Thrukesh Gerstenmager, a hobgoblin warlord and tactician of rare caliber. He is wily and cunning, ambitious and ruthless. In other words, he’s perfectly suited to the job. He has held the title for over 15 years, having slain his own father, the strong but overly aggressive general Hrubek Gerstenmager to eliminate potential rivals for the throne. Thrukesh’s brother is Valkur Narthask, an intelligent hobgoblin who was born with a deformed leg that has left him unable to fight effectively. Rather than allow his brother to be killed, Thrukesh protected him, valuing his intellect, and has made him an important border officer near the Summerwall.